Progress on the structural and mechanical design of the Giant Magellan Telescope

Michael Sheehan; Steve Gunnels; Charles Hull; Jonathan Kern; Carey Smith; Matt Johns; Stephen Shectman

doi:10.1117/12.926469

17 September 2012 Progress on the structural and mechanical design of the Giant Magellan Telescope

Michael Sheehan, Steve Gunnels, Charles Hull, Jonathan Kern, Carey Smith, Matt Johns, Stephen Shectman

Proceedings Volume 8444, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes IV; 84440N (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.926469
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2012, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Abstract

The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), one of several next generation Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs), is a 25.4 meter diameter altitude over azimuth design set to be built at the summit of Cerro Campanas at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. The primary mirror consists of 7 individual 8.4 meter diameter segments resulting in an equivalent collecting area of a 21.5 meter diameter single mirror. The telescope structure, optics and instrumentation has a rotating mass of approximately 1250 metric tons and stands approximately 40 meters tall. This paper reports the results of our ongoing preliminary design and development of the GMT structure and its major mechanical and opto-mechanical components. A major recent redesign of the Gregorian Instrument Rotator (GIR) resulted in significant changes to the telescope structure and several mechanisms. Design trade studies of various aspects of the main structure, hydrostatic bearing system, main axes drives, M2 positioner, M3 subsystem and the corrector-ADC subsystem have refined the preliminary design in these areas.

Citation Download Citation

Michael Sheehan, Steve Gunnels, Charles Hull, Jonathan Kern, Carey Smith, Matt Johns, and Stephen Shectman "Progress on the structural and mechanical design of the Giant Magellan Telescope", Proc. SPIE 8444, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes IV, 84440N (17 September 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.926469

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available